South Carolina ETV to host five “Chasing the Moon” screeners across the state

May 16, 2019 - Posted in SCETV

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) today announced a series of five screener events taking place across the state in conjunction with “Chasing the Moon” – a new, six-hour documentary film premiering Monday-Wednesday, July 8-10 on SCETV.

Part of PBS’ “American Experience” series, Robert Stone’s “Chasing the Moon” traces the space race from its earliest beginnings to the monumental achievement of the first lunar landing in 1969 and beyond. Scheduled in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, “Chasing the Moon” will air in three, two-hour increments and will be accompanied by a multi-platform engagement campaign.

As part of that engagement campaign, SCETV in partnership with the ETV Endowment will be hosting five screener events across the state. Select events will include participation from renowned astronauts Charles Bolden and Charles Duke.

Monday, May 20 at the S.C. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics in Hartsville, S.C.; the event, which is open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. with a brief reception in the North Lobby of the Gerald Malloy Student Activity Center. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium of the center. In addition to the screening, this event will include a discussion with Francis Marion University Professor of Astronomy Dr. Jeannette Myers.

Saturday, June 1 at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, S.C.; from noon – 4 p.m., a “Chasing the Moon Family Afternoon” will take place aboard the USS Yorktown, the recovery ship of the Apollo 8 space capsule. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration S.C. Space Grant Consortium will provide family activities, and a screening of “Chasing the Moon” will be shown throughout the day. The event is open to all museum patrons.

A screening event will take place in June at Aiken Technical College in Aiken, S.C. The exact date and additional details will be announced in the days ahead.

Tuesday, July 16 at the Museum of York County in Rock Hill, S.C.; several screenings will be presented throughout the day with public showings in the early afternoon for all museum visitors. Registration will be required for screenings at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. – both of which will be followed by a talk by Charles Bolden. Additional details will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Thursday and Friday, July 25 and 26 at the S.C. State Museum in Columbia, S.C.;on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., ETV Endowment members and invited guests of the SC State Museum will participate in a screener and discussion with Charles Duke. On the following morning, SCETV’s Education team is partnering with TRIO and the Girl Scouts of South Carolina to host a similar event for students. Both events are closed to the public.

In addition to the airing of “Chasing the Moon” July 8-10, SCETV will also provide supplemental coverage on its radio, digital and other broadcast platforms. Full details will be announced in the weeks ahead.

“We’re excited to bring ‘Chasing the Moon’ to the people of South Carolina by airing this extraordinary film in July and hosting these events across our state over the next few months. I look forward to the discussions that will take place as a new generation learns about one of mankind’s greatest achievements of the 20th century.” –SCETV President and CEO Anthony Padgett

“‘Chasing the Moon’ explores the unbelievably complex challenges that NASA was able to overcome. Not a week goes by when someone doesn’t say, ‘Why can’t we do something today as ambitious, as grand as putting a man on the moon?’ It was a century-defining achievement, and our film tells a familiar story in an entirely new way.” –“American Experience” Executive Producer Mark Samels

“In many ways, ‘Chasing the Moon’ is the culmination of a lifetime of thoughts that have been churning through my mind about this extraordinary period in which I grew up, about the boundless ambition and promise of a brighter future that space travel inspired, the belief that anything is possible if we join together in a common goal and the urgency it ignited to preserve and care for our home planet. Having PBS as a partner to take this film out worldwide is a real honor for me.” –“Chasing the Moon” Filmmaker Robert Stone

FIVE FAST FACTS:

SCETV is hosting five screener events from May-July in conjunction with the airing of “Chasing the Moon” – a new, six-hour documentary film.

The “Chasing the Moon” premier will take place in three, two-hour increments July 8-10 on SCETV.

Part of PBS’ “American Experience” series, Robert Stone’s “Chasing the Moon” traces the space race from its earliest beginnings to the monumental achievement of the first lunar landing in 1969 and beyond.

As part of a multi-platform engagement campaign, SCETV in partnership with the ETV Endowment will host screener events in Hartsville, Mount Pleasant, Rock Hill, Columbia and Aiken.